A map of Valley City showing the proposed Valley City and Turtle Mountain Railroad. The Sheyenne River, Northern Pacific Railway, First National Bank, Valley City Brick and Tile Company, the courthouse, churches, school, hotels, and residences are also shown and labeled on the map.

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A map of Valley City showing the proposed Valley City and Turtle Mountain Railroad. The Sheyenne River, Northern Pacific Railway, First National Bank, Valley City Brick and Tile Company, the courthouse, churches, school, hotels, and residences are also shown and labeled on the map.

"A post office was finally established on Oct. 3, 1883 with Andrew T. Anderson as the Postmaster. This was the extent of the development of Ashtabula. The Valley City and Turtle Mountain Railroad, which was planned to go from the southern border of Barnes County to the Turtle Mountains, mainly for the large supply of coal available in that region, died a natural death, aided no doubt by the fine hands of the administration of the NRPP, which itself had designs on a feeder road to the north of Valley City. The plans and hopes of the promoters of Ashtabula died along with the VC&TMRR. All that remains is the plat of the city on file in the Barnes County Court House. - written by Thomas P. Elliot President of the Barnes County Historical Society, Inc. An ambitious plan was the Valley City and Turtle Mountain railroad, from Watertown, S.D. to the Turtle mountains. It was to have entered Ransom county in section 36 of Bale township, proceeded north to Lisbon, then northeast to Preston and Standing Rock, leaving the county in section 1 of Northland twp. Many farmers whose farms are along this route may have wondered why their title to the land had provision for a railroad right of way, for a road that never got beyond the blue print stage.